Review: The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr (Prism Book Tour & Giveaway)

November 27, 2019

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The End of the Magi
By Patrick W. Carr
Christian Historical Fiction
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook
384 Pages
November 5th 2019
by Bethany House Publishers

Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begins.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.
Review
Where do I begin with this story?!

I have been looking forward to this book for several months. I love a good Biblical fiction story. Especially one that brings light to an area of the Bible I'm not familiar with, or one I haven't studied much.

The End of the Magi is one of those types of books. I knew of the prophesies of Daniel, but following along to how they were kept and followed by a select few, who were waiting and counting down the days was so intriguing. Right when I thought the story was going to go one way, it went another. Myrad's story is one that kept me guessing, wanting to know where it was going, and at times, wonder, why?

There is so much that happened leading up to the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, so many that were waiting, but the ideas of what all happened to lead the ones who were supposed to be there, really is interesting.

Patrick Carr is a new to me author, I'm sad I haven't read his works before. His attention to detail of this time, of the customs of the people, and his more masculine writing style, really enhanced this story to more then I could imagine. Myrad's journey is a hard one, not just physically, but emotionally, it was a time of growing in many ways and a time of learning a lot of hard lessons. Myrad is a flawed man, but what this story was leading to was just phenomenal!

The story doesn't end where you think it will either, this story takes you to the right end. I kept thinking, one we reach a point, that will be it, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The secondary characters to Myrad all played well of each other. Walagosh is on character I could read about more. His back story, and the life he chose was interesting and vibrant with detail. The characters that traveled in his group really brought so much to the story. And they were the people that Myrad really needed.

This book to me is on that is a great read for this time of year. It is a story that can be a new Christmas tradition, I think.

5 out of 5


Praise for the Book

"Carr retells the story of the Magi in this bustling biblical adventure . . . . Myrad's divine vision of the star and his arduous trek battling his own physical problems to pay homage to the Messiah capture the majesty of biblical narratives and will appeal to Christians well versed in scripture."--Publishers Weekly

"Patrick Carr brings us a captivating tale in The End of the Magi. Based on the Holy Bible, he weaves a fictional tale of the adventures of a group of magi from the east looking for the Messiah. Myrad is a strong main character even though he doesn't see himself as strong. He has great character traits and these help him find triumph over tragedy. . . . The End of the Magi is a great holiday read and gives us much to think about in our journey to know God better."--Fresh Fiction

(Affiliate links included.)

About the Author


Patrick W. Carr is the author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Staff and the Sword. A Cast of Stones won the 2014 Carol Award for Speculative Fiction and the 2014 Clive Staples Award. A Cast of Stones and The Hero's Lot were both finalists for 2014 Christy Awards. He teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four sons.








Tour Schedule


Tour Giveaway


- One winner will receive a print copy of The End of the Magi and a $20 B&N gift card
- Four winners will each receive a print copy of The End of the Magi
- US only
- Ends November 29, 2019

Grab Our Button!



Thank you to Prism Book Tours and Bethany House Fiction, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Give Off Autumn Vibes

November 5, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Read Girl.
Each week features a book related topic to spotlight your Top Ten.

Topic:
Books That Give Off Autumn Vibes

This is a fun topic and so very easy to fill in! I know of one author in particular whose covers just scream fall and cozy. 
The colors of fall are just wonderful and I love this topic because it brings all the happy colors to one place. 



by Amanda Cabot
by Laura Frantz
by Lori Benton



by Tessa Afshar
by Lori Benton
by Laura Frantz



by Angela Hunt
by Katherine Reay
by Cathleen Armstrong


by Melissa Tagg
by Susan May Warren


by Melissa Tagg
by Melissa Tagg

 This topic was so easy for me. I knew exactly which books to feature. They are all covers that just stick with me and bring happy thoughts. The colors and the cover models are just spot on!

What books come to mind when you think of fall?

Latest Instagrams

© The Shelf Life. Design by FCD.